Zubeen Garg death case: Fast track court begins daily hearing in Assam

Guwahati: The fast-track court constituted for daily trial into the case pertaining to alleged murder of cultural icon Zubeen Garg began its hearing here on Monday amid growing politics over the issue ahead of Assembly elections on April 9.

The hearing began in the court of Sharmila Bhuyan, the judge, following which the accused Shayamkanu Mahanta, Shidartha Sharma, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, Amritprabha Mahanta, Sandipan Garg, Nandeswar Borah and Paresh Baishya were connected with the court through video conference from district jail, Baksa and Haflong.

The seven accused were arrested soon after Garg died while swimming in a sea in Singapore on September 19 last year. Garg was in Singapore to take part as a cultural ambassador in the Northeast India Festival, organised by Shayamkanu, an entrepreneur.

During the hearing, counsel for Amritprabha Mahanta, A K Bhuyan placed his arguments seeking her discharge from the case. Mahanta's lawyer will further place his arguments on Tuesday.

Amritprabha, a female singer and Garg's band mate, was with the singer during the incident.

Gauhati High Court recently constituted the fast-track court based on a plea by Assam government, which was made based on growing demand for justice into Garg's alleged murder case. Sarma had earlier claimed that Garg was murdered by one accused and was assisted by others.

A coroner court in Singapore recently ruled that Garg's death was caused by drowning and he was in drunken condition at the time of the incident.

Politics over death:

The Opposition parties, however, alleged that Sarma was playing politics by facilitating for the fast-track court just before the Assembly elections. Sarma, on the other hand, said that the justice would he delivered by the court, not by him or BJP.

On Sunday, the issue figured in the five "guarantees" Congress made ahead of the Assembly elections. The party promised to provide justice into Garg's death case within 100 days of formation of its government after the elections.

The fast-track court will conduct daily hearing into the case.